ISPON vows to prosecute anyone working illegally in Nigeria as Safety professional

The National President of the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria, ISPON, Chief(Dr.) Udezi Stephen.L.A today said anyone working illegally as a "Safety Professional" in Nigeria will be prosecuted if caught by the Institute's Task Force on Consequences Management in Safety. Dr. Udezi handed down the warning at the just concluded ISPON Day 2026 held at PTI, Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State. 

He said for anyone to be called a Safety Professional" in Nigeria as enshrined in the ISPON Act 2014, his/her name must be on the "ISPON Membership list"

He said, "That's the only way you can be recognized and called a Safety Professional. 

"If your name is not on our membership list as a safety professional,then you are working in Nigeria illegally."

He noted that consequences for anyone working in Nigeria illegally in line with the regulations of the ISPON Act 2014. 

According to Dr. Udezi, the "Consequence Management in Safety", a body responsible for spelling out the fines and penalties to offenders of the law. 

"So, if you do the wrong thing, according to ISPON Act, for an individual that is parading himself illegally in this Country as a professional, you pay a fine of N100,000 or you go to jail for six(6)months. 

"For a company director, you go pay a minimum fine of N500,000 or you go to jail for six(6)months. I don't want to send any Nigerian to jail. It will not  be of any benefit to me. So, that's why we are asking through this media now appealing to them, that every Nigerian that wants to a safety professional must come to ISPON, get trained and get certified. Then, you can now come and become a member of the Institute. That' the only way you can be recognized as a safety professional in Nigeria or else, if you work illegally and our task force catches you, they will prosecute you."

Udezi also appealed to the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori to establish a "Safety Commission" in the State so that things that work in other States in terms of safety, can be replicated here in Delta. 

While noting that Delta State has a lot of Safety Professionals that will make the Safety Commission work if establish, Udezi volunteered himself to make it work. "I am readily available to give all resources and every other thing that will make it work in this State."

Udezi said the ISPON day 2026 celebration is also to mark its 12th anniversary since the Institute's got its Act in 2014 from the Federal Government of Nigeria. 

Udezi explained that, "ISPON was actually founded sometimes in 1978 that transformed to 1980. It was older than the Act but the ISPON Act 2014 gives us power to operate in the Country.

"ISPON is actually a professional body that was founded by some very, very critical and very, very wonderful minds. They formed the institute and decided that we use it to talk to people especially in the oil and gas industry,train them also in the oil and gas industry on how they can go to work safely, work safely while at work and get back to their families safely when they are done."

He pointed out that ISPON is the only institute in whole of Africa that has an Act backing them from the Government from where they operate. "That means, ISPON is really,really powerful. One of the things we have done is to go out and propagate to Ministry, Departments and Agencies of Nigeria. The law also set standards for practicing of Safety in Nigeria."

Delta State Chairman of ISPON, Dr. Kingsley Unueroh and Dr. Shola Yemi Jonathan aligned themselves with the postulations of the National President.